Graded inspection · Jan 2025 Previous framework
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
This schoolOther primary schools in County Durham
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good | |||
| Personal development | Good | |||
| Leadership and management | Good | |||
| Early years provision | Outstanding |
Inspection history
- 28 January 2025Graded inspection, no overall grade
- 10 November 2021Ungraded inspection: School remains Good · as Blessed John Duckett Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary, URN 114283
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry11 applications · 7 places offered · 7 named it first
FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.
- 2026 1.6; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2025 1.3; County Durham median median 1.8
- 2024 1.2; County Durham median median 1.8
- 2023 1.3; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2022 1.1; County Durham median median 1.9
- 2021 1.2; County Durham median median 1.9; as the previous school
- 2020 2.0; County Durham median median 1.9; as the previous school
- 2019 1.1; County Durham median median 2.0; as the previous school
- 2018 2.4; County Durham median median 1.9; as the previous school
- 2017 1.8; County Durham median median 1.9; as the previous school
- 2016 1.1; County Durham median median 1.5; as the previous school
- 2015 1.1; County Durham median median 1.6; as the previous school
- 2014 1.1; County Durham median median 1.6; as the previous school
- This school
- County Durham median
Dashed bars: as Blessed John Duckett Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary (URN 114283), the previous school.
Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 7 | 11 | 1.6 | 7 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2025 | 10 | 13 | 1.3 | 10 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2024 | 12 | 14 | 1.2 | 13 | 1.08 |
| Sep 2023 | 10 | 13 | 1.3 | 10 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2022 | 8 | 9 | 1.1 | 8 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2021 * | 6 | 7 | 1.2 | 6 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2020 * | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2019 * | 12 | 13 | 1.1 | 12 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2018 * | 5 | 12 | 2.4 | 5 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2017 * | 10 | 18 | 1.8 | 13 | 1.30 |
| Sep 2016 * | 10 | 11 | 1.1 | 10 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2015 * | 7 | 8 | 1.1 | 7 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2014 * | 21 | 22 | 1.1 | 21 | 1.00 |
How did pupils do in SATs?
DfE KS2 · 2024/25Reading 56% · Writing 33% · Maths 22% → all three 11% met the expected standard, End of Year 6
- This school
- County Durham median
- England median
Every year as a table
| Year | Expected standard | Higher standard | Reading score | Maths score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 11% | 0% | 103 | 98 |
| 2023/24 | 43% | 14% | 107 | 100 |
| 2022/23 | 75% | 0% | 109 | 106 |
Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow LawThis schoolThis schoolGraded · no overall grade20251.6applications per place 11%met the SATs standard
- 0.9 km · County DurhamRemains Good20231.5applications per place 54%met the SATs standard
- 4.3 km · County DurhamRemains Good20232.3applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
- 4.7 km · County Durham20261.4applications per place 76%met the SATs standard
- 4.9 km · County DurhamRemains Good · improving20242.0applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
- 5.2 km · County DurhamRemains Good20222.0applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
- 5.9 km · County DurhamRemains Good20231.7applications per place 52%met the SATs standard
- 5.9 km · County DurhamStandards maintained20252.8applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
- 7.0 km · County DurhamRemains Good20231.2applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- URN · DfE number
- 148916 · 840/3511
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Capacity
- 84 pupils · 83 on roll
- Free school meals
- 34.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Nursery
- Has nursery classes
- Opened
- 1 February 2022
- Replaced
- Blessed John Duckett Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary (URN 114283)
- Address
- Smith Street, Tow Law, Bishop Auckland, DL13 4AU
- Local authority
- County Durham
Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources